Chemistry
by BalletBaby5
Summary: Hanna said the only thing she wanted, the only thing he had never been told, the only thing he needed to hear, "Stay". Hanna/Caleb fic. Title and story inspired by the One Night Only song. Rating may change later. I don't own anything. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

"And Hanna, please, no parties this time," Mrs. Marin smiled at her daughter before she ducked into the waiting Taxi.

Hanna could feel the knot in her stomach twist as she waved good bye. Being alone in the house with 'A' watching her made her feel sick. At least with her Mom there she had safety in numbers. As she shut the door she hesitated, but finally put the deadbolt on. She knew it was still light out, but that had never stopped 'A' before. A tap on the window made her jump and she whipped around to see that familiar mop of brown hair smiling at her sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" he said as he let himself in the back door. "I didn't feel right though, just walking in. It's not my house." He looked down at the floor as he said this, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"This is your house," Hanna said before she could stop herself. She felt her cheeks redden. Honestly she couldn't imagine the house anymore without Caleb in it. The sneaking around was tiring but to her it was worth it. She thought back to their discussion about him skipping town and it made her stomach twist for the second time that day.

"At least we won't have to hide for a few days while my Mom is gone," she said quickly, trying to divert his attention.

"Yeah it will be nice to not always be listening for her," Caleb agreed as he slid his backpack onto the counter.

"Well you are welcome to sleep in the guest room upstairs tonight. I'm sure having a bed would be a nice change from that old couch," she tried to seem non-chalant as she suggested it. She didn't want to tell him that she wanted him to sleep upstairs so that she wouldn't have to be alone up there just incase. Not to mention how being near him made her feel.

"As long as you're sure that's okay," Caleb said. He kept trying to catch her eye for some sort of reassurance but she was careful not to meet his gaze as she darted around the kitchen trying to keep busy.

"Definitely! Look, I have some stuff to do so I'll see you later!" Hanna shut the cabinet door and took off towards the stairs leaving Caleb standing confused in the middle of an empty kitchen.

"Uh, sure…later…"

….

He woke up to the sound of her frantically calling his name and felt his heart in his throat. He bolted from his bed and took off down the hall.

"What is it? What's wrong!" he demanded.

"I think there is someone outside!" she pointed to the window. He walked carefully towards it and peered through the curtains that were partway open. Caleb surveyed the yard carefully for any signs of movement but found none. He had to admit though, the dark yard had an eerie feel to it.

"I don't see anyone there," he reassured her as he shut the drapes completely. She nodded and he watched her lay down again slowly. Taking that as his cue to leave, he started for the door, until he heard her.

"Don't go."

It stopped him dead in his tracks and he turned back to face her.

"Just…stay. Please. For a little while."

Caleb hesitated as he stared at the empty spot in her bed. And then he looked at her eyes. Pleading and full of fear. Without a second thought he slid onto the bed, careful to stay on top of the covers. He didn't want her to think that he was going to use the situation to take advantage of her. He could never do that to her. He rolled over to face her, tucking his arm under his head. She gave him a weak smile, her blue eyes glistening. The sight gave him a pain in his chest and he couldn't figure out if it was good or bad. Before he knew what he was doing, he reached out and brushed some hair away, lightly grazing her face.

"Let me protect you," he whispered.

"You don't know what is after me. What if you can't," she whispered back, anxiously biting her lower lip.

"I can. Trust me."

She hesitantly reached out and lightly covered his hand with hers. "I…I'm trying."

All he wanted to do in that moment was kiss her. In this perfect mess of a moment. He lightly stroked her pinky finger with his thumb and finally saw her exhale like she had been trying not to breathe all day.

"I'm glad you're here," she said softly. He smiled.

"You don't need me, you're like Wonder Woman over here. Do you know what I thought the first time I saw you?"

"Her skirt is too short?"

"No," he laughed. "That you were fearless."

"I was a bitch," she smiled as she remembered their squabble at the Dance.

"No, you were bossy and pushy and honest… And… I liked it," he admitted as he laced his fingers through hers. She felt her heart swell. Caleb made her feel safe.

They lay in silence after that and he never took his eyes off of her. She could feel her body relaxing with him next to her. Finally, Hanna felt her eyes grow heavy. She shifted closer to him and let the sound of Caleb's steady breathing lull her to sleep. She felt him get up to leave and squeezed his hand. Without opening her eyes she said the only thing he had never been told before, the only thing he needed to hear:

"Stay."

…..

Author's Note: There's the first chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

The bass was thumping so loud Caleb could feel the floor vibrating beneath him. It was Saturday night and he had somehow found himself at a Rosewood Beer Bash in suburbia with Hanna and Spencer. Hanna had jumped at Spencer's suggestion to attend the party. Neither of them had mentioned the night before in her room.

Caleb had woken up at 5am that morning on his back with no feeling in his right arm. He shifted slightly and realized that the lack of feeling in his arm was due to the fact that Hanna was asleep on part of it. She had curled herself up against his side, with his right arm and shoulder cradling her head. He managed to carefully free his arm but there was no sleeping after that. He slipped downstairs and didn't see Hanna until early afternoon when Spencer had shown up with the party invite.

And it was a rager. He made his way down the stairs and scanned the room. He finally spotted the blonde perched atop the breakfast bar counter, beer in one hand and cell phone in the other. Her brow was furrowed as she stared at the screen. Caleb carefully tried to weave his way through the crowd of drunk Rosewood high students. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Spencer and Toby through the window walking out on the back lawn. He watched as Toby reached out and discretely slipped his hand in hers. Caleb was quick to avert his eyes, suddenly feeling like he was intruding on a private moment. Besides, there was only one girl he was concerned with right now. His.

"If you aren't careful they're going to kick you out of this party for depressing the clowns," he joked as he approached her. She glanced up to confirm his presence and then quickly turned her gaze towards the window. She didn't want him to see her eyes. His face clouded with concern as he realized it was something serious.

"What's going on?" he glanced at her phone and it all made sense.

"Hanna, who is calling you? Is this why you were so jumpy last night?" He rested his hands on the counter on either side of her, creating a cage around her legs and ultimately trapping her there. She focused her gaze on her lap but that didn't stop him. He bent slightly and ducked his head, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Let me help you," he whispered.

"You can't," she shook her head.

"You have no idea what I'm up against, what she's capable of…"

Caleb stared at her, confused, as she trailed off. She cleared her throat and fiddled with her phone nervously.

"Let's go."

She finally was able to raise her head.

"What?"

"Let's go! Let's get out of here, out of Rosewood! Just for a little while!" a slow smile broke across his face as he said it.

"How! We don't even have a car! We came here with Spencer!" she tried to reason.

Caleb only looked discouraged for a moment before turning quickly toward the crowd.

"James!" He shouted and caught the attention of a polo shirt wearing blonde with a crew cut. Hanna and anyone else with eyes could clearly see that this guy was drunk.

"Caleb! This guy is THE MAN! What is up!" he shouted back, he voice getting higher in pitch with every word.

"Man, I need to borrow your car for a bit, throw me the keys!" Caleb put his hand in the air like a catcher's mitt.

"This is never going to work. You don't even know James McGladrey," Hanna breathed.

"Sure I do, I've been upstairs for the last half hour cementing our bro status," Caleb commented over his shoulder and motioned to James again.

"You cannot be serious, the guy is a complete douche bag."

"No argument there," Caleb smirked.

"Waitaminute," James slurred as he grabbed the railing.

"Have you been drinking, 'cause I'm not supposed to give my keys to drunk people…" he trailed off and closed one eye in an attempt to focus.

"Dr. Pepper only," Caleb raised his red cup and put his other hand over his chest.

"Scouts honor."

"Ohhhhh, right on brotha'! Heads up!" and just like that, Caleb held the keys in his hand. He turned back to Hanna and gave her a questioning smile. She was in shock. She glanced around for Spencer and suddenly spotted her on the back grass with Toby. She opened her mouth to give some other excuse why this was completely irrational, when her phone began to vibrate and chime. A message. She knew who it was from. She glanced down at the cell phone she was cradling in her lap and suddenly felt Caleb's forehead resting against hers. He was leaning on the counter, once again trapping her.

"Just turn it off and let's go forget for a little while," he whispered. She was out of excuses. She didn't know how but she found the courage to meet his eyes. Their faces were dangerously close. She could feel his breath on her cheek. She searched his eyes for some trace of doubt or fear but she couldn't find it. And that gave her strength.

"Okay."

…

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of the amazing feedback! I'm really enjoying writing this! I love the way these two characters have been developed on the show. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. I tried to get it out as quickly as I could. Please review and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

"Seriously?" Caleb grinned at her, their foreheads still together.

"Yeah," Hanna's face broke into a smile as she said it. She couldn't believe she was saying it. Without taking his eyes off of her, Caleb took the phone from her hands. He pressed a button and Hanna could hear the phone turn off. Without a word, he stepped back, slid the phone into his pocket and offered her his hand.

"Let's get out of here."

…..

"This is crazy!" Hanna laughed as they ran down the driveway together. They searched the packed street for James' car. Hanna didn't think she'd ever seen Caleb smile so widely.

"Got it!" Caleb called to her as he finally found the car matching the keys in his hand. He raised his eyebrows in her direction as he slid into the driver's seat.

"Where do you wanna go?" he asked as she shut the passenger side door. She smiled at him.

"Anywhere."

That was all it took. He turned onto the road right in front of him and drove them through town. He had no idea where he was going but he didn't care. She would go anywhere with him. She had just left a Rosewood High party for him. She could have had any guy in the room easily but she had picked him. He would go to Guadalajara if that's what she wanted.

Hanna had never felt so liberated in her entire life. As they passed the Rosewood sign, she actually felt lighter. There was no 'A' out here. No murder to be solved. The warm night air filled her nose and she let her hand drift along slowly outside the open window. She glanced over at Caleb, his hand resting easily on the steering wheel. She couldn't help herself, she reached over and laced her fingers through his free hand. He smiled at her and she felt herself turn a fierce shade of red. She didn't know how he evoked that in her, Sean had never given her that reaction. She had never felt nervous about holding hands, she would just grab Sean's hand confidently. Somehow with Caleb something as simple as holding hands felt like so much more. The intimacy of it was unnerving.

"Well?" he asked, looking for some sort of direction. Hanna leaned forward and switched on the radio.

"Just keep driving."

He sped up a little bit for affect and was pleased to see her laugh. He tried to remain focused on the road as they sped through the night. Hanna had slipped off her shoes and lazily put her feet up on the dashboard. Her bare legs were now clearly visible and he was having a hard time pretending not to notice them. All the while their fingers remaining firmly entwined.

"Is this what it's like to just disappear?" she asked. Caleb nodded.

"It's nice," she sighed.

"Sometimes," Caleb shrugged.

"It can be pretty lonely."

"I'm sorry," Hanna said softly. Sometimes she forgot about Caleb's past.

"It's okay," he replied and gave her hand a slight squeeze.

"It's not so lonely anymore."

Hanna smiled and squeezed back. They let the radio fill the silence as Caleb let the car cruise down the dark road.

"Wait, turn here!" Hanna sat up suddenly.

"What?" Caleb asked, confused.

"Here! Right here!" she bounced excitedly. Stealing his hand back, he turned sharply to the left onto a dark back road.

"Are you sure about this?" Caleb tilted his head as he attempted to see the winding dirt road. They were driving further into a deep-forested area.

"Trust me, this is it," Hanna assured him.

"What exactly is 'it'?"

"This! Turn in here," she pointed to a small clearing just up ahead. Following orders, he pulled into the clearing and put the car in park. Within seconds, Hanna threw off her seatbelt and bolted from the car.

"Hanna!" he shouted, scrambling out of the car after her. But she was off like a shot. That's when he saw it. At the edge of the clearing just through the trees was a lake.

"Come on!" she had stopped and was smiling mischievously at him, illuminated in the bright light coming off the moon. He could have sworn she was glowing. All he wanted to do was reach out and touch her. She reached out her hand for him and he had no choice but to follow her.

She led him down to the small dock the stretched out into the shallower parts at the edge of the lake. Her excitement and assertion reminded him of the Hanna he had first met when he came to Rosewood. Wild and impulsive and fearless.

"How did you know this was here?" he asked crossing his arms as he turned to face her.

"I used to come here sometimes…with my Dad," she managed the last part with some difficulty. Caleb's eyebrows rose in surprise. He'd never heard her so much as mention her father.

"We used to come down here on clear nights in the summer sometimes and look at the stars, " she said as she looked out over the lake. The water was as smooth as glass.

"I know it sounds kind of lame, but he was really into that stuff, my Dad. He would show me all of the constellations and explain what each of them meant. He was kind of a nerd about it," she laughed and shook her head as she remembered her childhood excursions.

"It sounds fun," Caleb said.

"It was," she agreed as a sad smile crossed her face.

"That was when he was still around. When he was my Dad and he still wanted to be with us."

They stood in silence for a few minutes, Hanna's confession hanging thick in the air between them.

"So how does this star thing work exactly," Caleb broke the silence, leaning in her direction and bumping her shoulder with his.

She laid down on the dock and motioned for him to follow. He looked at her skeptically.

"Come on, if you're going to do this you have to do it right," she insisted.

"Alright," he sighed and stretched out beside her on the narrow dock.

"See that, right there," Hanna pointed up to the cluster of stars in the shape of a 'W' right above them.

"That's Cassieopeia, She was a Queen, who was really vain and always saying that she was so beautiful. Which made the sea god Poseidon really angry and he started to lash out on her country. To get Poseidon to stop, Cassieopeia had to sacrifice her daughter Andromeda to a sea monster."

"So she just gave up her daughter to be eaten by three headed whale?" Caleb laughed.

"Something like that," Hanna giggled.

"But Perseus came and saved her. That's his constellation right there," she pointed out.

"Well look at you," Caleb turned his head and smirked at her.

"Someone is a secret nerdy genius."

"Shut up!" she lightly punched his shoulder.

"I told you why I know all this stuff."

"Yeah, I know."

The silence was comfortable as they stared up at the tiny lights dotting the night sky.

"Prison," Caleb said suddenly.

"What?" She turned her head to look at him, confused.

"A while ago you asked where my parents were and I wouldn't tell you. They're in prison. Well at least one of them is," Caleb focused his attention on the sky again. He didn't think he could look her in the eye as he told her this. He was afraid of what he might see there.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You've been apologizing a lot tonight for stuff that is in no way your fault," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. She rolled her eyes at him and smiled.

"I meant I'm sorry because I know how that feels. It really sucks not having him around," she explained.

"Yeah, it did. But I think we turned out alright. Even without them," Caleb finally met her eyes.

"And I promise not to ruin your reputation by telling everyone you are a huge Astronomy nerd," he said in a low voice, reaching over and ruffling her hair.

"You are so dead!" she laughed and tried to do the same to his hair as he fought her off.

The sound of their laughter echoed out over the lake and into the night. But Hanna wasn't worried. Because for once, she didn't feel like anyone was listening.

….

Author's Note: There it is! Sorry it took so long! This chapter was a little bit lengthier and I wanted to get the interactions just right. Hope you like it! Please continue to review! All of the feedback has been amazing!


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